Super Wingstorm

The evening of November 26th, at the Amsterdam Arena.

The fifth round of the Champions League Group H match: Ajax versus AC Milan.

Following Ajax’s 3-2 loss to Celta Vigo at the Balaidos Stadium in Spain at the beginning of the month, and AC Milan’s 1-0 away victory over Bruges, the standings in Group H had been turned on their head. AC Milan now ranked first with a record of two wins, one draw, and one loss. Ajax sat in second with two wins and two losses, Celta Vigo was third with one win, two draws, and one loss, while Bruges settled for fourth.

But in reality, the point totals for all four teams were extremely tight. Anyone could advance, and anyone could be eliminated.

The fifth-round match was undoubtedly the key.

In preparation for this match, AC Milan had rested five key players in last week’s Serie A game, including Kaka, Siedorf, and Cafu. Combined with the return of Maldini, the Red-Black Army was clearly determined to win.

Ajax continued to be plagued by injuries. Right-back Talabesi was still ”out with an injury,” while players like Sunk had recurring old injuries, leaving the team’s roster severely depleted. Mitja was moved to the left wing, and O’Brien took up the right-back position.

After a lackluster performance as a starter against Celta Vigo in the previous match, Yakubu had been benched by Koman for two games. But this time, he was back in the starting lineup as the team’s right winger, showing just how few trustworthy options Koman had on the right flank.

But when it rains, it pours; misfortunes never come singly for Ajax.

Just twenty-eight minutes into the match, Ibrahimovic injured his right ankle during a shot. Although he struggled to continue, he couldn’t hold on. In the fortieth minute, he was forced to be substituted, with veteran Litmanen coming on to replace him.

With the loss of two key players, Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart, Ajax’s strength was significantly diminished.

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When the match reached the fifty-second minute, AC Milan’s star right-back Cafu intercepted the ball and broke forward. After a brilliant one-two with Big Inzaghi, he sent in a cross. Ajax defender O’Brien misjudged the ball, letting it go over his head. Shevchenko controlled it, cut inside to shake off the backtracking Yakubu, and calmly sent a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner of the net.

One-nil!

A collective sigh of disappointment swept through the Amsterdam Arena.

Yang Yang, Vermaelen, and the other Ajax Second Team players sat in the stands, witnessing the entire sequence of AC Milan’s goal. They were filled with awe, because the assist was provided by the thirty-three-year-old Cafu, who had charged down more than half the pitch.

And the one who scored the goal was Shevchenko, one of the world’s top strikers and the frontrunner for this year’s European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year awards.

At the crucial moment, AC Milan’s stars had played their decisive role.

”Now that’s a true superstar,” Van Basten said with a sigh.

His career started at Ajax, but he spent his peak years at AC Milan, so he had deep feelings for both clubs. At this moment, he didn’t know which team he should be rooting for.

Especially since the scorer was Shevchenko, who many said had already surpassed Van Basten himself.

AC Milan soon came attacking again. Cafu was incredibly active on the right flank, and without the intimidating presence of Ibrahimovic up front for Ajax, AC Milan felt little pressure. Their defensive line dared to push up boldly, threatening to lay siege to the Ajax goal.

”Their experience is just too vast. Maldini, Costacurta, Cafu, Pirlo, Shevchenko, Big Inzaghi... every single one of them is a top-tier European star. Even the youngest, Kaka, has been outstanding in this match. Meanwhile, our average age is only twenty-two, and we lack experience... It’s just...”

Van Basten trailed off, letting out another long sigh filled with complex emotions.

As someone who had witnessed the peak of Ajax’s glory days, the contrast with the current Young Guard was a disparity that outsiders could hardly understand or appreciate.

Sitting beside him, Yang Yang could at best only sense his pessimism about the match.

Against such a defensively solid team, conceding one goal made it almost impossible to come back, especially while also having to guard against their counter-attacks.

During Ajax’s opening offensive press in the first half, Kaka’s incisive counter-attacks had left a deep impression on everyone. Ancelotti had started him for this very purpose.

This was Yang Yang’s first time seeing Kaka play live, and he was deeply struck, especially by his speed on the counter.

It had to be said that Kaka was the most astonishing new star to emerge in European Football this year. Watching him, Yang Yang could clearly see his own shortcomings and the gap between them.

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As it turned out, Van Basten’s premonition was correct.

The match ended 1-0. Ajax lost at home, suffering their second consecutive defeat in the Champions League group stage.

More importantly, the match statistics showed that Ajax only managed two shots from inside the penalty area the entire game, both of which occurred before Ibrahimovic was substituted off. After that, Ajax completely lost its attacking threat.

AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Dida, didn’t even have to make a single diving save the entire match, which showed just how toothless Ajax’s offense was. Even when they launched a final counter-offensive and laid siege to the goal in the final stages, they still couldn’t break into the penalty area.

The score was only 1-0, but for Ajax, it was a devastating defeat.

Meanwhile, in the group’s other match, Celta Vigo drew 1-1 with Bruges at home. This result pushed Ajax into a desperate corner, leaving the Eredivisie giants with no room for retreat.

After five rounds, AC Milan topped the group with ten points, securing their advancement as group winners. Ajax and Celta Vigo both had six points, and Bruges had five. The three teams were still neck and neck.

In the final round, Celta Vigo would play away against an AC Milan team that had nothing left to play for, while Ajax had to challenge Bruges away from home. These two matches would be decisive, life-or-death battles.

The problem was, the defending Champions League champions were scheduled to play in the Toyota Cup on the weekend of the final group stage match. This meant it was virtually impossible for the Red-Black Army to field their main lineup against Celta Vigo, giving the La Liga powerhouse a good chance of winning away.

Therefore, Ajax had no way out in their sixth-round away match against Bruges. They had to win.

But Bruges, through their five hard-fought matches, had shown everyone that despite being a Pot 4 team, they were by no means a pushover. Especially on their home turf, they were more than capable of defeating any opponent who came calling.

The predicament caused by two consecutive Champions League losses quickly made the Dutch media turn their guns on the team. They unanimously criticized Ajax’s terrible performance and questioned Koman’s tactics and lineups. His use of Yakubu, in particular, became a major point of criticism, as the Ghanaian player had made extremely serious errors in both matches.

Many media outlets even suggested that if Ajax were eliminated from the Champions League group stage, Koman should resign and take responsibility.

In the eyes of most, although Ajax had sold Qi Wu and Van der Meede in the summer, they had also brought in Escude and Wesley Sonck. The French Central Defender was now the core of the team’s defense, and the Belgian striker was the team’s top scorer in the Champions League, contributing three goals in five games despite not always starting.

Koman, on the other hand, was seen as frequently making mistakes with both his lineups and his in-game management.

Fans who didn’t know the full story also expressed their dissatisfaction with the team’s performance. Even after Ajax returned to the Eredivisie and swiftly defeated Feyenoord 2-0 at home, it wasn’t enough to quell the fans’ anger.

Reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last season had given everyone hope for Ajax’s revival. The entire club shared this expectation, especially with the return of legendary manager Van Gaal, which had raised everyone’s hopes even higher. But what was the result?

If they were knocked out of the Champions League group stage, someone of sufficient stature would have to take the fall.

Head coach Ronald Koeman, technical director Van Gaal, or even chairman Van Pragg, who had been the subject of fans’ complaints for years.

While the media and fans were in an uproar, things were not calm within the team either.

The rumors of Talabesi’s departure grew more intense, with Premier League up-and-comers Chelsea, as well as Juventus and Rome, all joining the battle to sign him. This made the right-back’s exit from Ajax seem increasingly likely.

Beset by troubles both internal and external, a repressive gloom once again descended upon De Toekomst.

Even the usually relaxed Ajax Second Team suffered its first defeat in the youth league. Yang Yang’s performance, however, remained outstanding. And after witnessing world-class stars like Kaka and Shevchenko, Yang Yang threw himself into his regular training, special training, and extra practice with even more fervor.

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BANG... BANG... BANG... BANG...

With a certain rhythm, the ball flew from Yang Yang’s right foot again and again, striking the wall and rebounding randomly.

From twenty meters away, Yang Yang moved laterally, constantly meeting the returning ball with either his left or right foot, sending it back to the wall to await the next rebound.

Despite deliberate practice, Yang Yang’s left foot still wasn’t flexible enough. It could handle simple movements, but anything more complex was a struggle. Nevertheless, Yang Yang was determined to train his left foot up to par.

Time passed without him noticing. Yang Yang was already drenched in sweat, but he showed no signs of stopping.

He was already seventeen, and by all indications, the first team wasn’t that far out of reach.

Just after the team’s home loss to AC Milan, his best friend, Vermaelen, received a call-up to the first team, officially joining their ranks. This made Yang Yang very envious, but at the same time, he felt a sliver of pressure.

The words of Ibrahimovic and Maxwell were still ringing in his ears. ’Vermaelen made it. What about me?’

’When the opportunity for the first team presents itself, will I be able to seize it?’

This filled Yang Yang with a sense of urgency, driving him to work even harder in his regular training, special training, and extra practice, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

He trained until nightfall before finally stopping, panting for breath.

It was only at this moment that he suddenly noticed someone sitting in a corner not far behind him.

The slightly heavyset, middle-aged Dutch man was holding a bottle of water. Seeing Yang Yang stop training, he shook the bottle and offered it from afar.

The familiar feeling from more than half a year ago, at the Almere Skate Park, came rushing back.